0p0 Chapter 46 The Greedy Concubine
Chapter 46 The Greedy Concubine
The Qiao family's annual income, including the estate, fields, shops, and his father's income, totaled 30,000 taels of silver.
This amount is actually not low. Over the years, the Marquis's mansion should have accumulated a surplus of three to four hundred thousand taels.
However, judging from the current situation and daily expenses, the Qiao family's assets are estimated to be less than 100,000 taels left.
Even if she were to help her own family, she couldn't possibly help them this much.
Where has all this money gone over the years?
Qiao Qingshu casually flipped through the account book, already having a guess in her mind.
What she had just told Lai Da was nothing more than trivial matters; she hadn't mentioned a single word about the real, major deficits in the ledger.
She thought to herself, "This old woman is really bold. A woman living in the inner quarters of the house dares to do such things and isn't afraid of being exposed."
A mischievous smile tugged at her lips as Qiao Qingshu murmured to herself,
"You hid yourself so well in your past life, but it won't be so easy in this one, Grandmother. After I deal with the little devil, I'll deal with you, the big devil."
Within three days.
Aunt Chen then came to our door.
It was past noon, and the maids and servants inside and outside Zhuqing Pavilion were taking a nap.
Then a mournful wail could be heard coming from the courtyard gate.
"Why is my life so miserable! They bully me because I'm just a concubine and I don't have any family backing me up. This young lady is deliberately trying to kill me! I can't live anymore!"
Qiao Qingshu did not take a nap; she was practicing calligraphy in her study when her pen paused, and a faint smile appeared on her face.
Lin Dong, still half-asleep, straightened her clothes and lifted the curtain to come in and report.
“Miss, Aunt Chen is making a scene at the gate of our courtyard. She’s kicking and rolling on the ground, and several maids can’t hold her back.”
Qiao Qingshu put down her pen and calmly stood up.
"Please invite them in and make them a pot of tea."
Lin Dong didn't understand, but she did as instructed anyway.
Aunt Chen sat in the hall with her eyes slanted, not drinking tea, but glaring fiercely at the maids in front of Qiao Qingshu.
During late winter, late autumn, and summer solstice, they would stand behind the pillars of the porch to avoid eye contact with Aunt Chen.
Late Autumn muttered to herself.
"Pah, he's incompetent himself, so he just takes his anger out on us maids."
Lin Dong tugged at Wan Qiu's sleeve, signaling her to stop talking.
Qiao Qingshu was slowly walking out of the study at that moment.
Upon seeing Qiao Qingshu, Aunt Chen rolled her eyes without saying a word, stood up, and shrieked.
"Young lady, when have I offended you that you're making an example of me! I live off those three taels of silver a month, and now you're deducting one tael from my paycheck. How am I supposed to survive?!"
Qiao Qingshu didn't even look at her. She walked straight to the large kang bed by the window, sat down, and stretched out her hand. Wanqiu immediately handed her a cup of hot milk-fried fruit tea.
Qiao Qingshu took a bite, glanced at Aunt Chen, and frowned at Wanqiu.
"Late autumn, you didn't even serve your aunt a bowl of food. It's so cold, she should have some hot water to warm herself up."
Aunt Chen, standing to the lower end, pursed her lips and turned her head away in refusal.
“I won’t drink it! I’m just a concubine, I can’t afford these fancy things! Even if I did, I’d just end up in the latrine! The eldest daughter is now cutting off my livelihood, I can’t even eat! From now on, I won’t be able to afford milk-fried fruit tea, or even corn porridge!”
Qiao Qingshu gave Aunt Chen a composed smile.
"Auntie, what are you saying? We can't even afford corn porridge anymore."
Aunt Chen's eyes widened, and she said with a sneer,
"That's right! The monthly allowance of three taels was a rule established when the old master was alive. You, young lady, have only been in charge of the household for a few days and you're already changing the ancestral rules. Is that reasonable?"
Qiao Qingshu wasn't annoyed; she simply sat up straight with a faint smile and said...
“Aunt, I knew someone would come to cause trouble today, but I didn’t expect it to be you. Now that you’re here, I can’t let you leave without a clear explanation. Let’s settle this score.”
Having said that, he picked up the abacus from the kang (a heated brick bed) and gently turned the dial.
“Now you get two taels of silver a month, while the young master and young lady’s monthly allowance remains unchanged at five taels. Every time the nanny on Tai’er’s side receives her monthly allowance, you take four taels from her. And you, Qiao’er, also make a fuss about taking two taels every month. So you, Aunt Chen, now get a full eight taels of silver a month.”
Qiao Qingshu stared intently at Aunt Chen, her eyes devoid of any smile, replaced by a deep seriousness.
Aunt Chen trembled and inexplicably took two steps back, her heart filled with panic.
She did indeed ask Taige'er and Qiaojie'er for money every month.
Taige'er is a fool, so she's greedy. Qiaojie'er finds her annoying and is willing to pay her money for peace and quiet to get rid of her.
However, she did all these things secretly, so how could Qiao Qingshu know so much?
Aunt Chen had lost her previous arrogance and looked at Qiao Qingshu with a somewhat flustered expression.
Qiao Qingshu continued, her face serious.
“Aunt He has always been well-behaved and honest. She never coveted a penny of the girl’s money, only taking three taels a month. Now that it’s down to two taels, Aunt He hasn’t come to make a fuss with me. But you, Aunt Chen, you still shamelessly come to my room for eight taels a month. You’re truly insatiable.”
Qiao Qingshu tossed the abacus onto the kang (a heated brick bed), her face growing increasingly angry.
“I didn’t want to get involved at first, but the weather has turned cooler these past few days. When I passed by Tai’er’s courtyard, I saw that he was still wearing thin autumn clothes. I asked Zhou, the nanny who takes care of him, and found out that his aunt took all of his monthly allowance and didn’t leave Tai’er a single penny. What, are you planning to make up for the one tael I deducted from you by having Tai’er give you a full payment?”
The last sentence was spoken at a sudden high pitch, startling Aunt Chen so much that she shivered, shrank back, and immediately regretted coming.
Don't try to steal a chicken and end up losing the rice instead!
Qiao Qingshu took a deep breath, as if suppressing her anger.
“Aunt Chen, I’m in charge now, so you’d better behave yourself under my nose! If I make a mistake again, I won’t be as easy to talk to as the old lady. I’ll skin you alive!”
"Return all the money your brother and sister have given you. I will check the accounts every month from now on. If you dare to steal your brother and sister's money again, I'll make sure you're skinned alive!"
Aunt Chen pouted, on the verge of tears, filled with regret. Why had she come all this way?
She dared not talk back anymore. Qiao Qingshu was different from the old lady and Bai Shi. She was not easy to fool and was not kind. She would punish her for any mistake. Aunt Chen's scalp tingled. She knew that the days ahead were going to be difficult.
But she didn't dare to complain anymore, afraid that she would provoke Qiao Qingshu into bringing up other things to punish her again. She just lowered her head and lost her previous arrogance.
At this moment, Wanqiu walked in and said hurriedly.
"Miss, Aunt Xu has also arrived."
Now that Xu Biyun has become a concubine, the Qiao family no longer calls her Aunt Xu, but instead addresses her as Madam Xu.
Qiao Qingshu waved her hand and said,
"Let him in."
Turning to Aunt Chen, he said,
“Stand behind the screen, Auntie, and see what the other aunties are saying. Are they all as greedy as you?”